Hey guys, thought i might make my contribution here by giving a little crash course in wines. This thread prompted get me thinking and I reckon every guy could use a bit on info to DHV in with women.
My background - I work down under in an advisory role in relation to wine. Not quite a sommelier, but I know enough to roughly gauge people's tastes. Once you've spoken to hundreds, even thousands of people over the phones about wine, you learn quick. And here is the great advantage - probably less than 5% are really, truly picky about their wines, so most people aren't likely to fault you on your knowledge.
You don't have to been an expert - just know more than the other guy.
Another note - since i work in Australia, a lot of my info may be heavily influenced by Australian wines. I won't have as much in-depth info about California Pinots and whatnot, but I hope the following will give you a good idea regardless.
Let's get started.
---
I'll focus on 3 main points:
Different varietals will have different characteristics, the most obvious being whether it is red or white, but also there will be impacts on flavor. Vintage - an indication of the age of a wine - will also factor into wine selection.
I'm going to give you guys two lists and sort them in order of "body". This is a difficult word to explain, but it brings together the characteristics of flavour, texture, aroma and round off the entire wine experience. People can describe a Cabernet Sauvignon as "big bodied", compared to a Pinot Noir which may be "light-bodied"
To give a simple example, think of a block of dark chocolate, compared to a ripe strawberry.
Dark Chocolate - Earthy, rough texture but melts in the mouth and clings to the palate thickly.
Strawberry - Lifted fruit aroma, bursting with moisture, runs down the palate smoothly.
I also like to use the following scale and try to place a wine on it.
Savoury--------------Fruity
VARIETALS
OK, let's get down to the nitty gritty
WHITE VARIETALS
Chardonnay
Riesling
Semillon
Sauvignon Blanc
The above probably accounts for 80%~ of the wines i have discussed with clients. This is by no means cut-and-dry, but is a good guide. So the best way to look at the list is like this: If you pick a Sauvignon Blanc from the shelf, it will more likely than not be more fruit driven and crisp than a Chardonnay.
Chardonnay [Shar-don-nae] is an interesting varietal because winemakers like to do so much stuff to it, the most pronounced being using oak barrels. This imparts a serious woody aroma that hits you over the head. Again, not cut-and-dry, but that's the general guide. Unless it says so otherwise on the bottle, expect oak in your chardonnay. Different people will have different tastes, so your choice what you want.
Riesling [Reez-ling] is one of my faves because it can change character over time (will be discussed in VINTAGE). A young riesling will be fresh, crisp and have a bit of acid that will cling to the side of your mouth. Aged rieslings will mellow out and lose that acid, and might pick up more savoury characteristics. My favourite is the mile kerosene aroma - you read that right. Personally I light to do zippo tricks and play with fire, which may explain why i like this one. Some people might be weirded out, but again, different strokes for different folks.
Semillon [Semi-lyon] isn't exactly a common variety by itself, i find, but it's starting to get some attention. Vintners like to blend it with Sauvignon Blanc to impart lemony characteristics to the wine. There are also desert wines made with botrytised semillon - semillon grapes infected with a fungus that dries them out and increases sugar content. If you saw what the fungus looked like you might lose your appetite, but as a sweet desert wine these are awesome. Grab a bottle, a block of smelly cheese and invite your girl over to snack on together. We call this "sticky and stinky". Go ahead, make all the sexual innuendos you like![[Image: blush.gif]](https://rooshvforum.network/images/smilies/blush.gif)
Sauvignon Blanc [Sov-in-yon-blan] - Last but not least. As long as they have a somewhat discerning palate, younger girls will choose this over any other of the previous varietals. Good Sauv Blanc wines are fresh, fruity and crisp. Grab a bottle with a girl and make it a game - see what fruits you can taste smell. Pineapple, mango, lemon, lychee, longan, passionfruit... these are not uncommon characteristics in Sauvignon Blanc
RED VARIETALS
Cabernet Sauvignon
Shiraz/Syrah
Merlot
Pinot Noir
Again, the above account for the vast majority of red varietals i discuss with clients. And again, while the list is sorted in terms of body, take this only as a guideline, not an unbreakable rule.
In contrast to white wines, with red wines the use of oak, whether it be barrels or woodchips, is the norm to impart more savoury characteristics.
Cabernet Sauvignon [Cab-uh-nae-soe-vin-yon] is a classic varietal and you can rely on it to be a big-bodied red. Pour some into a glass, hold it up to the light - see how little light goes through, but also how radiant the rim is. Expect lots of dark berries like cassis and cherry. Depending on oak, sometimes chocolate and cigar box aren't unusual.
Shiraz/Syrah [Shuh-razz/suh-rah] - The reason why i have provided two names if because i'm aware it's known most commonly as Shiraz in Australia, and Syrah around the rest of the world. You can probably research why this is the case yourselves, but right now just be content to know they're the same varietal.
Shiraz is just a step down in terms of body compared to Cab Sauv, but still holds a lot of power. Vintners usually choose to use less oak with Shiraz, but i find that due to where it's grown, it takes on more spicy, peppery characteristics. Grab a bottle with a girl, order Thai or cook a steak at home, or just drink it by itself - good shiraz is like a meal in a glass.
Merlot [Mer-low] - I'll say it right here and now, this isn't my most loved varietal. I like my red wines strong and up front. Compared to the Alpha male that is a Cab Sauv, Merlot feels like a nerdy beta, however they still hold their charms. If you are still developing your palate, or want something to go with food that won't interfere too much, Merlot is a good choice.
Pinot Noir [Pee-noe-nwar] - I'm only just starting to see the charms of good Pinot. I like to think of it as the Red version of Sauvignon Blanc - it's light-bodied and medium to light red berry aromas waft readily from the glass. If you want to have a wine beside you while making love, grab a Pinot Noir. Don't forget the candles.
VINTAGE
Vintage is just a fancy term for how long a wine has been in the bottle. Instead of saying "how old is that wine", saying "which vintage is that wine from" is more classy.
Not all wines age well, so be wary. Out of the whites i would be most comfortable recommending aged Chardonnay and Riesling, with Semillon depending on the winemaker. Give that old Sauv Blanc to a friend you don't like.
Reds - Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz are my recommendations. Of course there are great aged Pinot Noirs, with Burgundy reds being the prime example, but they're probably beyond the average budget.
So, now what? Some wines can age and other can't, that's all? Just drink it before its use-by date! Wait, wait, not so fast...
Knowing a wine's vintage will give you a clue as to what's inside the bottle. Try this experiment - buy two Cab Sauvs, one young and one aged. Pour a glass of each. Take a look, a sniff and a taste.
Young wines are more likely than not to have more fruit driven aromas and characteristics. In reds, the color is more deep and vibrant around the rims. In whites, you can expect clarity and brightness.
Aged wines are more likely than not to lose these fruit characteristics over time. I like to say they have "mellowed out". In reds, we say the colour has "dropped out" and has gained some clarity. Whites, on the other hand, can be expected to darken and take on a deeper shade of gold.
Bonus Section - GLASSWARE
Here's some friendly advice for you guys - for the love of all is holy, get some decent glassware. Don't pour that delicious wine into a fucking coffee mug and pass it around like juice around a campfire. You are giving up the opportunity to appreciate the the wine to its fullest.
A wine should be observed, swirled, sniffed, tasted, considered and contemplated upon before finally being swallowed. This isn't college anymore. Stop chugging that goon out of that cardboard box.
As a plus, decent glassware looks fucking awesome. I am not affiliated with the following link, so feel free to check it out.
Plumm Glassware
Cheers, gentlemen!
My background - I work down under in an advisory role in relation to wine. Not quite a sommelier, but I know enough to roughly gauge people's tastes. Once you've spoken to hundreds, even thousands of people over the phones about wine, you learn quick. And here is the great advantage - probably less than 5% are really, truly picky about their wines, so most people aren't likely to fault you on your knowledge.
You don't have to been an expert - just know more than the other guy.
Another note - since i work in Australia, a lot of my info may be heavily influenced by Australian wines. I won't have as much in-depth info about California Pinots and whatnot, but I hope the following will give you a good idea regardless.
Let's get started.
---
I'll focus on 3 main points:
- Body
- Varietals
- Vintage
Different varietals will have different characteristics, the most obvious being whether it is red or white, but also there will be impacts on flavor. Vintage - an indication of the age of a wine - will also factor into wine selection.
I'm going to give you guys two lists and sort them in order of "body". This is a difficult word to explain, but it brings together the characteristics of flavour, texture, aroma and round off the entire wine experience. People can describe a Cabernet Sauvignon as "big bodied", compared to a Pinot Noir which may be "light-bodied"
To give a simple example, think of a block of dark chocolate, compared to a ripe strawberry.
Dark Chocolate - Earthy, rough texture but melts in the mouth and clings to the palate thickly.
Strawberry - Lifted fruit aroma, bursting with moisture, runs down the palate smoothly.
I also like to use the following scale and try to place a wine on it.
Savoury--------------Fruity
VARIETALS
OK, let's get down to the nitty gritty
WHITE VARIETALS
Chardonnay
Riesling
Semillon
Sauvignon Blanc
The above probably accounts for 80%~ of the wines i have discussed with clients. This is by no means cut-and-dry, but is a good guide. So the best way to look at the list is like this: If you pick a Sauvignon Blanc from the shelf, it will more likely than not be more fruit driven and crisp than a Chardonnay.
Chardonnay [Shar-don-nae] is an interesting varietal because winemakers like to do so much stuff to it, the most pronounced being using oak barrels. This imparts a serious woody aroma that hits you over the head. Again, not cut-and-dry, but that's the general guide. Unless it says so otherwise on the bottle, expect oak in your chardonnay. Different people will have different tastes, so your choice what you want.
Riesling [Reez-ling] is one of my faves because it can change character over time (will be discussed in VINTAGE). A young riesling will be fresh, crisp and have a bit of acid that will cling to the side of your mouth. Aged rieslings will mellow out and lose that acid, and might pick up more savoury characteristics. My favourite is the mile kerosene aroma - you read that right. Personally I light to do zippo tricks and play with fire, which may explain why i like this one. Some people might be weirded out, but again, different strokes for different folks.
Semillon [Semi-lyon] isn't exactly a common variety by itself, i find, but it's starting to get some attention. Vintners like to blend it with Sauvignon Blanc to impart lemony characteristics to the wine. There are also desert wines made with botrytised semillon - semillon grapes infected with a fungus that dries them out and increases sugar content. If you saw what the fungus looked like you might lose your appetite, but as a sweet desert wine these are awesome. Grab a bottle, a block of smelly cheese and invite your girl over to snack on together. We call this "sticky and stinky". Go ahead, make all the sexual innuendos you like
Sauvignon Blanc [Sov-in-yon-blan] - Last but not least. As long as they have a somewhat discerning palate, younger girls will choose this over any other of the previous varietals. Good Sauv Blanc wines are fresh, fruity and crisp. Grab a bottle with a girl and make it a game - see what fruits you can taste smell. Pineapple, mango, lemon, lychee, longan, passionfruit... these are not uncommon characteristics in Sauvignon Blanc
RED VARIETALS
Cabernet Sauvignon
Shiraz/Syrah
Merlot
Pinot Noir
Again, the above account for the vast majority of red varietals i discuss with clients. And again, while the list is sorted in terms of body, take this only as a guideline, not an unbreakable rule.
In contrast to white wines, with red wines the use of oak, whether it be barrels or woodchips, is the norm to impart more savoury characteristics.
Cabernet Sauvignon [Cab-uh-nae-soe-vin-yon] is a classic varietal and you can rely on it to be a big-bodied red. Pour some into a glass, hold it up to the light - see how little light goes through, but also how radiant the rim is. Expect lots of dark berries like cassis and cherry. Depending on oak, sometimes chocolate and cigar box aren't unusual.
Shiraz/Syrah [Shuh-razz/suh-rah] - The reason why i have provided two names if because i'm aware it's known most commonly as Shiraz in Australia, and Syrah around the rest of the world. You can probably research why this is the case yourselves, but right now just be content to know they're the same varietal.
Shiraz is just a step down in terms of body compared to Cab Sauv, but still holds a lot of power. Vintners usually choose to use less oak with Shiraz, but i find that due to where it's grown, it takes on more spicy, peppery characteristics. Grab a bottle with a girl, order Thai or cook a steak at home, or just drink it by itself - good shiraz is like a meal in a glass.
Merlot [Mer-low] - I'll say it right here and now, this isn't my most loved varietal. I like my red wines strong and up front. Compared to the Alpha male that is a Cab Sauv, Merlot feels like a nerdy beta, however they still hold their charms. If you are still developing your palate, or want something to go with food that won't interfere too much, Merlot is a good choice.
Pinot Noir [Pee-noe-nwar] - I'm only just starting to see the charms of good Pinot. I like to think of it as the Red version of Sauvignon Blanc - it's light-bodied and medium to light red berry aromas waft readily from the glass. If you want to have a wine beside you while making love, grab a Pinot Noir. Don't forget the candles.
VINTAGE
Vintage is just a fancy term for how long a wine has been in the bottle. Instead of saying "how old is that wine", saying "which vintage is that wine from" is more classy.
Not all wines age well, so be wary. Out of the whites i would be most comfortable recommending aged Chardonnay and Riesling, with Semillon depending on the winemaker. Give that old Sauv Blanc to a friend you don't like.
Reds - Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz are my recommendations. Of course there are great aged Pinot Noirs, with Burgundy reds being the prime example, but they're probably beyond the average budget.
So, now what? Some wines can age and other can't, that's all? Just drink it before its use-by date! Wait, wait, not so fast...
Knowing a wine's vintage will give you a clue as to what's inside the bottle. Try this experiment - buy two Cab Sauvs, one young and one aged. Pour a glass of each. Take a look, a sniff and a taste.
Young wines are more likely than not to have more fruit driven aromas and characteristics. In reds, the color is more deep and vibrant around the rims. In whites, you can expect clarity and brightness.
Aged wines are more likely than not to lose these fruit characteristics over time. I like to say they have "mellowed out". In reds, we say the colour has "dropped out" and has gained some clarity. Whites, on the other hand, can be expected to darken and take on a deeper shade of gold.
Bonus Section - GLASSWARE
Here's some friendly advice for you guys - for the love of all is holy, get some decent glassware. Don't pour that delicious wine into a fucking coffee mug and pass it around like juice around a campfire. You are giving up the opportunity to appreciate the the wine to its fullest.
A wine should be observed, swirled, sniffed, tasted, considered and contemplated upon before finally being swallowed. This isn't college anymore. Stop chugging that goon out of that cardboard box.
As a plus, decent glassware looks fucking awesome. I am not affiliated with the following link, so feel free to check it out.
Plumm Glassware
Cheers, gentlemen!
Feel free to PM me for wine advice or other stuff
ROK Article: 5 Reasons To Have Wine On A Date
RVF Wine Thread
![[Image: banana.gif]](https://rooshvforum.network/images/smilies/new/banana.gif)
![[Image: 715.jpg]](http://www.uniquebirthdaygiftsideasformen.com/files/images/small/715.jpg)
